Paswan seeks quota for those preferring inter-caste marriage

RANASI: Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan has now demanded quota for persons preferring inter-caste marriage. Paswan appealed to the private sector companies to think for recruiting Dalits to discourage casteism in the society. He also said Naxalism can’t be compared with terrorism.

The Lok Janshakti Party chief, who was addressing the inaugural session of three-day national executive of LJP and Dalit Sena at Sarnath here on Saturday, said that quota for persons doing inter-caste marriages can help in bridging gap between different caste groups. He said that the private sector companies should think for recruiting people from dalit and backward classes on the basis of merit.
Targetting Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav, Paswan said, “None of these leaders remember the politicians from forward class like former Prime Minister late VP Singh, who sacrificed his government for Mandal Commission. Legendary persons like Lord Buddha, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekanand and socialist late Rajnarain were from forward class but they struggled for the rights of Dalits and deprived hence their contributions can’t be overlooked.”

“Our struggle is not against any caste or class. It is aimed at bringing equality in the society,” said Paswan. He targeted Mayawati alleging that her party used to criticise forward class after defeats in election but start praising them again when it gets another chance to form government. He praised Narendra Modi government at the Centre on the issue of dalits and said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered for a judicial probe into the suicide of Rohith Vemula. Before Rohith 11, other dalit youths had committed suicide but no government ordered any probe into those cases.”

Today all parties are chanting the name of BR Ambedkar to woo dalits, he said, adding, but none of them, especially Congress, showed any interest in preserving his heritage. “Modi has been working outstandingly to uplift the condition of dalits and backwards without making any bid to take credit for it. He never talks on the basis of caste and community. But, only in past one and half years, Modi has ensured the development of places associated with Ambedkar, including Mahu in Madhya Pradesh, Alipur Road in New Delhi, London, Nagpur and Mumbai as monuments, museum and study centers,” Paswan said. He said that Modi has also given befitting reply to those who targeted him on the issue of quota, by making it clear that this constitutional provision is not going to end in his lifetime.
He said that his party’s stand on the issue of terrorism is very clear that it would continue supporting the process of eliminating this problem. But, he said, Naxalism can’t be compared with terrorism as it has generated due to socio-economic problem. “Maximum Naxalites are Tribal, who had been deprived of their land falling in hill or mining areas. If they are given share of the minerals extracted from their land, they would never indulge in Naxalism.” He said that he would intervene in education policy of government in coming future.